Sloppy Arsenal’s Top Four Bid Rocked By Palace

Unai Emery insists
Arsenal can still finish in the Premier League’s top four despite a
shock 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Emery’s side
paid the price for a defensive horror show at the Emirates Stadium that
leaves their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League via the
domestic route hanging in the balance.

The Gunners, who can also reach Europe’s top club
competition by winning the Europa League, fell behind to Christian
Benteke’s first goal for a year before Mesut Ozil equalised early in the
second half.

James
McArthur took advantage of more woeful Arsenal defending to make it
three. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reduced the deficit, but it was too
late to stop Palace’s first league win at Arsenal since October 1994.

“It’s
a big frustration because it was a big opportunity. At the set pieces,
we didn’t work and weren’t as strong as we have been,” Emery said.

“Their second goal was very bad for us and took away our confidence.”

Arsenal sit fourth, level on points with Chelsea who play Burnley on Monday.

Arsenal’s
first league loss at the Emirates since the opening weekend of the
season means they need to improve a dismal away record when they play at
Wolves and Leicester this week.

Emery remains convinced they can finish into the top four.

“We
still have the possibility to achieve our first target — qualifying
for the Champions League — through the Premier League or Europa
league,” he said.

“In this key moment, we have the chance to fight for the top four. If we win at Wolverhampton, it is still in our hands.”

Emery’s team were authors of their own downfall when Palace took the lead in the 17th minute.

Benteke
won a free-kick wide on the right. When it was curled in, Mustafi and
Konstantinos Mavropanos both stood watching as Benteke thundered past to
head home from close-range.

Mustafi was guilty of appealing for
offside rather than following Benteke and the centre-back made another
costly miscue moments later when he headed over from close-range.

– Day to forget –

AFP / Adrian DENNIS
Arsenal’s defeat to Crystal Palace was only Unai Emery’s second home loss in the league as Gunners boss

It was that kind of afternoon for Arsenal, who felt
Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka should have conceded a penalty when he
blocked a cross with his hands.

Zaha, who says he wants to leave
to play in the Champions League next season, gave a glimpse of his class
when he accelerated away and delivered a cross that Benteke ballooned
over the bar.

“He’s given an honest answer to a question, but that
didn’t look like the performance of a player keen to get away,” Palace
boss Roy Hodgson said of Zaha’s influential display.

“We have no interest in selling Zaha. But you never know what can happen. Life throws up these things.”

Arsenal drew level two minutes after the restart.

Alex
Iwobi slipped a pass to Alexandre Lacazette on the edge of the area and
the Arsenal forward picked out Ozil, who beat goalkeeper Vicente Guaita
with a fine strike at his near post.

Mustafi’s day to forget hit a new low in the 61st minute as Palace went back in front after another mistake from the German.